Die Flucht nach Ägypten

Schäufelein employs a restrained chiaroscuro, contrasting the luminous angelic figure with Joseph’s shadowed form and the jagged, dark rocks behind. Fine linear detail defines drapery folds and facial features, while atmospheric perspective softens distant hills. The brim of Joseph’s hat, caught in an unseen wind, heightens the scene’s immediacy.

Created in 1503, the work entered the Bavarian royal collections during the early nineteenth century. It has since been housed at the Alte Pinakothek, where it is catalogued as part of the museum’s Northern Renaissance holdings. No earlier ownership records survive.

Schäufelein, a workshop associate of Albrecht Dürer, produced this panel during a period of heightened devotional imagery in German-speaking lands. The Flight into Egypt was a frequent subject, often emphasizing human vulnerability and celestial intervention. The painting’s compressed format suggests it may have been intended for private meditation.